


The Octopus and the Teddybear

by theWK



Series: Waterdeep: Dragon Heist [2]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types, Original Work
Genre: FISH TIDDIES, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Other, Sharing a Bed, WHOD A THUNK IT, also surprise V is a changeling, and the struggles of not having darkvision, but in a cute way, chapter two IN, first base is kissing, i dont know shit about writing please do not judge me, interrupting and inconvenient housemates, its v, just assume that if its not jonas, minor injury but nothing serious, once again do not know how to tag these, pronouns too a bit, rain is bullshit, so according to An Source, these chapters will follow the "Bases", they need some help, things are getting spicy, things will escalate soon Trust Me, this fic will feature more than one of V's personas so names might switch around!, why are you dating a guy made of water, why does cuddling require foreplay, you have not met these two, you may ask
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:20:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26396299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theWK/pseuds/theWK
Summary: There's a first time for everything.
Relationships: Jonas deAtelier/"V"
Series: Waterdeep: Dragon Heist [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1918270





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was writing aimlessly, and then I looked up, and suddenly there was 5k in my google doc.
> 
> Rating perhaps may change depending on how bold I feel in the third chapter but for now we are pretty vanilla with some terribly awkward sprinkles and pining sauce.

⚝

* * *

The first time they stayed wasn’t something they planned.

V had been sitting in Jonas’s room that night, skimming new notes and writing quick responses for their now slightly overgrown mailbox when the party returned downstairs, though much later in the night than V would have assumed.

They found themselves able to trust the safety of this dinner party Jonas had so looked forward to, but only after overhearing the group would have a mandatory escort home, gift of Renaer, through one slivered window. That didn’t stop them from spending the first two hours or so perched on the young Neverember’s roof, though, ear out for signs of chaos. They eventually deemed it safe enough to call an early night, getting out of the drizzling rain before it slickened the noble’s roof. 

There was plenty of time to exit unnoticed from Trollskull's third floor, so V wasn’t in any rush to finish writing and make their escape while there was still muffled conversation downstairs. They trusted they could recognize the sound of Jonas’s feet patting on the stairs like they usually did whenever he made his way up, and slip out before he could notice. Their dear duckling wasn’t the most perceptive when he was in the dark, so even in the past when V had slipped up in their evasion and thought for sure they would be caught, he had still missed them completely. 

It was relaxing to sit in the quiet among his things, as though they were somehow spending this time together instead of a few floors apart. As wrong as it felt to invade his space like this, even with his invitation to do so, it wasn't like it was a secret anymore. They had admitted to the break-ins only yesterday, and Jonas seemed… happy about it, almost. His face was still harder to read than his notes, and the tension of their conversation in the alley didn't help their judgement.

Either way, some days it was just easier to read his notes and write responses in one fell swoop. Tonight was a good opportunity for that.

After a while the sound of footsteps and tired voices made their way around the manor floors one by one, first with the aven man clacking to the attic, followed by two cursing and stumbling pairs of boots directly below.

V didn’t pay much attention to the soft click of heels coming up to the third floor a few minutes later. The aasimar woman must have joined them at their dinner and be retiring as well, though V wasn’t able to catch a glimpse of the party from their perch at the noble’s estate earlier that evening. Her shared wall with Jonas’s room was barely a concern with how quickly and heavily the woman slept, so they didn’t budge from the bed. 

It was odd that Jonas seemed to be the last one to retire this evening, they thought as they re-dipped their pen. Perhaps he was tidying up their midnight snacks in the tavern below? He wasn’t raised to leave a mess, they’d seen him clean enough tables over the years.

By the time V realized the clicking footsteps had an eerily familiar gait, the door to Jonas’s room was already swinging open.

Their whole body stiffened as a familiar shape suddenly rounded the corner.

_Damn it, since when did he wear shoes?_

Jonas heaved a long sigh as he pushed through his door, bumping it closed behind him with his elbow. The evening had been long and exhausting. His body ached, and distracted with trying to unclasp his bracelets one-handed, he barely noticed the shadowed figure sitting hunched on his bed in the dark. He froze mid-step as he walked into his room, eyes locked on the shape as his heart jumped to his throat.

V didn't have time to think, much less make a mad dive for the window with ink and papers in their lap. 

They both panicked, trapped in plain sight.

V noticed the strain in Jonas’s eyes in the near pitch dark of the room, moonlight obscured by the overcast weather.

It only took a beat for Jonas to notice the dim light from the window bouncing off the scattered papers in their lap. The silent tension subsided and he averted his gaze once he, evidently, realized who he was squinting at. He let his foot lower the rest of the way to the floor and took a breath, righting his back and looking to the wall as he tried to come up with something to say. Despite the lack of light he didn’t want to risk seeing something he shouldn’t. Didn’t want to risk ruining something. 

V took that moment of silence to glance over him. He was in those orange clothes he had talked about, the collar already unfastened down to a keyhole. While the darkness of the room dulled the color significantly, it was almost jarring to see him in something other than black and gray material.

Their attention snapped back to his face when he spoke, though he wasn’t looking back.

“Hello...” His voice was quiet, his tone a little unsure. V cleared their throat and took a breath, though it took them a few seconds to get themselves to speak.

“Hi, um, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t—” 

“I-It’s okay!" Jonas waved his hands slightly, "I just wasn’t expecting to... to find you here, I guess.”  
  
“Hah, uh... usually I hear you coming if I am here when you get back.” They cleared their throat sheepishly, eyes darting to the window and then back to Jonas, “I shouldn’t hog your bed, you’re probably tired.” 

Jonas interjected, sounding almost panicked, “No, no, you don’t have to go. I don’t mind you being here...” his tone softened, and he tucked a few loose curls behind one of his ears as he glanced away, “Besides, I still need to change, and you’re in the middle of something. You should stay to finish what you’re doing at least. It won't bother me.” 

V looked back down at the papers. Despite the anxiety, it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to wrap up the current letter before running off.

They settled back against the headboard again and decided not to argue against his offer. “It shouldn’t take me too much longer, I think. I just ended up writing more than I’d originally planned, and, well, here I am.” They shot him a shy smile before remembering he couldn’t see it. They hoped it came through in their voice, at least. 

Jonas shuffled in place, stuck somewhere between nervousness and pleasant surprise. The last thing he had expected was to run into V again tonight, least of all in his own bedroom, and this was much different than their run-ins the day prior. He didn’t really know what to say. He brushed his fingers over his glass bracelet, glancing around the room before remembering what he had come upstairs to do. He quickly waved a hand towards the washroom door.

“I’ll just be in there. Do you need a light or anything?”

V smiled and gave their head a slight shake, “No, I’m fine like this.” 

“Okay, um…” Jonas pat his palms to his sides. He took a breath, nodded his head towards the dark blob on his bed in affirmation, and marched himself through the washroom door, shutting it almost completely save for a sliver to hear through.

V heard Jonas snap his fingers a few times as he fussed around in the dark before a dim light shone from the gap in the doorway. They turned themselves to face away from the wall and the distraction, crossing their ankles at the foot of the bed, and tried to get back into writing the letters with minor success with their attention repeatedly drawn to Jonas's shuffling on the other side of the wall. 

After a few minutes Jonas popped his head around the door frame and took a meek half-step out of the washroom, one hand held to the small of his back. 

“Sorry, er, can you help me with a clasp? I’m having some trouble with it...” He nodded towards the jeweled belt around his waist. V's eyes shot down, then back up to his face.

“Yeah, of course, here—” V sat up quickly, moving the papers off of their lap and turning to lift their hands towards him.

Jonas shuffled over to stand in front of them next to the bed and turned around. He pulled his braid over one shoulder and gestured behind himself to the source of his frustration; a line of tiny clasps down the back of the pearl belt he wore. The fastenings were small and finicky, so much so that V couldn’t get them undone with their gloved fingers, and so pulled their gloves off with a huff after a few tries. They eventually managed to release the jewelry, catching it before it slid straight down off the genasi's hips. Jonas’s hands quickly replaced theirs with a quiet gasp, pulling the strands of pearls up securely to his waist again. He took a quick step away and looked back to them over his shoulder, clearing his throat lightly.

“Thank you” He bobbed his head with a smile and a faint flush before moving back into the dull light of the washroom, nudging the door almost closed once again. There was a moment of silence before the sound of rustling fabric started again.

V stared at the door thoughtfully for a few seconds before rubbing at a cheek and shaking their head to get their mind back on task, bringing the papers they had cast aside back onto their lap. 

* * *

After another few minutes of quiet V managed to finish the notes, fold them, and tuck them away under the pillow. It wasn't much of a wait before they heard the footsteps and occasional muffled curse from Jonas come to a stop.

Jonas snuffed his candle and came back into view through the doorway, loud orange fabric replaced with his worn dressing gown and underthings. He carefully dropped a few things into his bag in the corner and V gave him a sly once-over before he turned to face them on the bed.

He looked like he had given up unbraiding his hair part way. His eyes were a bit more tired than earlier but V could still see a spark of anxiety behind them, and they began to regret not just slipping away while they had the chance. On the other hand, that may have made his friend feel even worse, to disappear without a goodbye. What a pain these circumstances were. They silently cursed themselves for not practicing better caution half an hour ago. 

When V pulled back out of their thoughts, Jonas was still staring at them in silence, head tilted curiously.

_Oh no. How long has he been standing there? Maybe they should say something. They should definitely say something._

“Y-you, do, uh…” _Shit. Fuck. This already wasn’t going well._ Jonas's brows furrowed and they panicked, quickly swiping a hand under the pillow and thrusting it forward with the small bundle of letters crumpled in their fingers. They blurted out the first sentence they could think of, a little louder than necessary, “ _—do you need help with your hair?_ ”

Jonas’s shoulders jumped and his eyes widened at the sudden action, but he quickly relaxed again as a soft, amused smile spread across his lips.

“Er... that is very considerate of you to offer, thank you. I was about to forfeit and just sleep in the jewelry. Or rip them out.” His eyes fell to the letters and his smile grew, pointing to their outstretched hand with his brow quirked. “Are those for me?” V’s face flushed with embarrassment immediately. Thankfully it was obscured by their hood and Jonas’s near blindness at this time of night. 

“W-well, I mean, _yeah. Obviously._ ” They huffed, stretching their arm out to hold the bundle a bit farther towards him. They turned their head away as Jonas took a small step forwards, taking it from their hand. His smile only grew.

“Can I sit with you?” He held the notes to his chest and gestured politely to their outstretched legs on the bed. V quickly pulled them up and out of the way to give him room, crossing their legs and then their arms with a bit of a flustered huff. Jonas waited until they were settled before moving to the bed, sitting down in front of them and facing away with his legs tucked under himself comfortably. V shook off most of their embarrassment after a few seconds. They slid themselves forwards behind Jonas and hesitantly took the end of his braid in their hands. His ears fanned out at the touch and he cleared his throat quietly.

“I don’t know how the other two braided it together while drunk,” he sighed, mild irritation in his tired voice, “but I can’t figure out how to reverse engineer whatever is going on. I’m worried I already tangled it all up trying.”

V examined his hair a bit closer, having a bit of trouble themselves deciphering the black locks in a dark room. It was definitely a complicated braid, what with the fishtail and pearls, but it was nothing they couldn’t pick apart with some time and attention. It would probably be more difficult to do backwards on your own head, though, so they didn’t blame his confusion. 

“It isn’t so bad. I can get this undone for you…” they cracked a smile, “without any unnecessary measures.” Jonas chuckled and V propped their elbows up on their knees, starting the process of untwisting his hair. Jonas passed the papers between his hands in the dark.

“Do you mind if I read these now? I can wait until later if you’d rather not be sitting here when I do.”

“Go ahead, I don’t mind. I wrote them for you to read, didn't I?”

Jonas resituated himself into a more comfortable position, trying to move his head as little as possible as he shuffled through the papers with anticipation. He slid a nail under the fold of the first letter he pulled and opened it gently, so as not to get the paper wet or smudge any ink, and snapped the fingers of his free hand a few more times until he was able to druidcraft a small flame to read by. V peered over his shoulder curiously at the sight of it. _Huh. You’d think that would burn a little._

They sat that way for a long while, V slowly and carefully undoing the braids from Jonas’s hair while he read, stealing peeks over his shoulder any time Jonas laughed to himself about what they had written. What was left of the stress pulsing through their mind subsided, helped along by the repetition of unbraiding left over right over left in the calm silence and the presence of their friend. 

Eventually Jonas finished his reading and tucked the notes away in his lap, putting out his little light with the promise of penning his replies on paper once there was any sunlight to write them by.

Even after the last of the braids came loose, V kept running their fingers through his hair. At first it was to make sure none of the thinner braids were missed and hiding, but now they were just stalling. They didn’t want to stop, and secretly, Jonas didn’t want them to either. His hair didn’t feel at all like how V had imagined it would, not wet and heavy and clumped together like their own before it dried after a bath or swim. His hair almost felt like it was moving with its own gravity, floating freely around their fingers in slow motion as though perpetually drifting in water. It was definitely still wet, though, and sent beads of water rolling down their hands to soak the cuffs of their sleeves—which would have bothered them immensely in any other circumstance—but it was like the strands were speckled with dew instead of drenched in rain. 

After a few extra minutes, though, V began to feel the creeping of guilt in taking advantage of this small favor. They slid their hands out of his hair and peeked around his side again to look at his face.

He had let his eyes close at some point, apparently, and his head was slumped slightly back and to the side. If he fell asleep, they hadn’t noticed when.

They touched his shoulder lightly, not wanting to startle him, “Jonas…?” 

The teal boy took a sharp breath through his nose and righted his head and looked groggily over to them, the odd orange lids in the corners of his eyes still half closed.

“Mmh... m’up… sorry.” He rubbed a palm over his eyes one at a time, and V couldn’t fight back their smile as they leaned back against the lumpy pillow. 

“Your hair is done. I don’t know where to put the pearls and stuff, though.”

“Already?” he took another tired breath, sounding a little disappointed, “Thanks, that was nice of you. That felt really nice.” 

V contemplated for a second or two at his tone, squinting at the back of his head. They could tell there was a question sitting in there that wouldn't make it’s way out of his mouth, probably due to shyness. They steeled themselves and cleared their throat quietly. If they were ever going to get anywhere, they figured, someone had to say something.

“I can keep going if you want me to, I’m not tired…” they thought the scene in their mind over momentarily, then added, “You should probably lay down this time, though. Just in case you fall back asleep.”

Jonas’s ear fins moved to flatten against his head. V swore they saw them turn a darker shade, but it may have just been in their head. He peeked over his shoulder at them.

“Is that okay?” The caution had crept back into his voice. 

They smiled again, but this time without their usual sly edge, trying their best to sound sincere and not as wildly anxious as they suddenly felt. 

“Well, I wouldn’t have offered if it wasn’t.”

Jonas found himself trapped in a staring contest with the darkness under their hood, overcome with the decision. Laying in a bed with someone wasn’t something Jonas really did aside from sharing sleeping space with Amiya from time to time, but that was a much different scenario. Then again, he’d been getting used to letting people in, these relative strangers, in small amounts. He had given and received more hugs and meeting hands these last weeks than he did in a year’s time before. Besides, this was V. Maybe they hadn’t touched on these boundaries quite yet, but they were clearly opening up the option. Maybe it would be alright.

Jonas kept looking back at them for one, two, three more pounding heartbeats before he nodded, turning his gaze forwards again. He tucked some stray pieces of hair behind his ears, allowing V to stealthily release the breath they hadn’t realized they were holding. He patted around the bed beside him until he found the strings of pearls, set them aside off the bed, and turned again to face them. There was hesitation in Jonas's movements but he eventually crawled his way up into the space between V and the wall.

They scrunched down and laid with their back propped against the single pillow, opening their arms as a silent invitation. It felt like a bold move, but they had to keep up this streak while they still had some adrenaline pumping. For all they knew, it could be the only time they get to try something like this.

Jonas moved slowly, unsurely, until he was laying beside their lax figure. His heart was beating in his ears with nervousness but he knew he wanted to do this, to be able to have this comfort in their friendship, especially if V clearly wanted the same. Now was the first opportunity he had to try it, but despite how desperate his heart was, he could barely get his body to cooperate. It was such a stark contrast to their conversation between the alley and the roof that he didn’t want to overstep somewhere. This would be so much easier if he were just a mouse again.

He shifted onto his side, lowering his head to their chest and trying to balance it there, arms wrapped self-consciously around his own waist. He stared forwards at the windowed wall past their chest and held his breath. 

_There._

_Mission accomplished._

His entire body was tensed like a bowstring, and V could feel it. They kept their arms hovering a few inches above his form, brow quirked with concern and maybe a little humor.

“Uh… is this... are you comfortable?” They tried to keep the humor out of their voice.

Jonas inhaled with a bit of a wheeze, voice tense and eyes remaining forward. “I don’t know how to do this.” 

V couldn’t hold back their chuckle. Gods, he really was so awkward. Even after knowing of his reserved sensibilities for nearly a decade and having that time to mentally prepare, V was still a little amazed at just how bad he was with physical contact. 

“Do you want some help?”

“I may need that yes.”

With another soft laugh V set their hands on his shoulders, gently guiding him around until his body could settle more comfortably against their side. The tension gradually melted away as they fit themselves together, arms over each other's sides and Jonas’s head heavy on their shoulder. Once it felt like he had gotten situated V returned their hand to his hair, finger-combing it away from his face and dragging light scratches across his scalp. Jonas let out a soft sigh.

“This is a lot better.”

“Yeah, you kind of suck at cuddling.” Jonas scoffed, and they patted his head with a laugh, “It’s alright, you’ll get better at it with time and practice. Lucky for you, I have plenty of knowledge and experience to share.” Their tone turned smug near the end.

Jonas mumbled back, voice returning to his usual monotone, “You say that like physical contact is a sport of some kind.”

V raised a brow down at their friend's head, “For you? It might as well be.”

He opened his mouth to retort, but paused and sighed, “I can’t even be mad. You’re right.”

They let out another soft chuckle and kept stroking his hair, getting back into a rhythm. It was so long that their hand couldn’t reach the ends, so they twirled it between their fingers when their arm stretched as far as it would go before returning to start at his scalp again. 

“So,” they set their gaze towards the window as the dim light of a carriage lantern rolled by below, brushing some hair over Jonas's shoulder, “how was the dinner party with the Neverember boy?” 

Jonas took in a long, exasperated breath.

“Oh, it started off fine and dandy, but you would not _believe_ what Lucian did when the food started coming out...”

* * *

After nearly an hour of hushed gossip and laughter Jonas’s voice began to slur at the end of his sentences with the oncoming weight of sleep. V was content to let him talk himself out of consciousness, they found it too cute to tell him he should stop whenever he took a pause to try and regather his thoughts. They had shifted around each other during the conversation, finding more comfortable ways to puzzle piece their bodies together, arms and legs now a tangled mess. Eventually, though, he seemed to concede to the night, settling his head heavier onto their chest after losing the final midnight road of thought. 

“Étoile…?” he yawned, cheek resting against their clavicle as he teetered towards the edge of sleep. V opened one eye to peer down at him over the damp hair twirled in their fingers.

“Hmm?”

“Will you still be here when I wake up?” he slurred into their shirt.

Their heart twisted. 

“I.. I don't know, Jonas.”

“Mmm…” Jonas thought for a moment before he shifted on the bed, lifting his face lazily to theirs under their hood, and V stilled. A cool hand reached out and searched around in the dark. They squeezed their eyes shut as it met their cheek, and then just for a second, a soft kiss found the other.

Their eyes snapped open but they couldn’t move.

Jonas leaned back away, hand lingering on their cheek before returning to its resting place on their side, a tired smile on his face.

“For if you’re gone and I can’t say goodbye tomorrow.” He mumbled, nestling back down into their shoulder with a sigh. “Goodnight, Étoile…” 

There was a stunned beat of silence on their part as Jonas drifted from consciousness.

This wasn’t a decision V was anticipating having to make tonight. They looked down at Jonas’s sleeping face, expression soft and lashes speckled with dew, and let their hand card through his hair a few more times in tense thought. What would it say about them if they did slip away before he woke? Would he really mind? It wasn’t like this was a normal situation for the two of them, there was no procedure here to follow, no earlier experiences with Jonas to look back on to help decide.

He looked so peaceful now. The last thing V wanted to do was upset him, but would he even feel the same about his decision to ask them to stay when the morning reared its head? 

They debated with themselves for what felt like ages, brushing their fingers through dark hair with their other hand cradled to his back, feeling the soft rise and fall of his breaths. Eventually they had to come to a decision. 

V angled their head down and pressed a kiss to the top of Jonas’s head.

“Goodnight, duckling.”

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

The first time they stayed it felt like a dream.

Jonas had been convinced he was still asleep when he woke in the morning to their arms still wrapped around him. Any chance of panic there may have been in that moment was overcome with the realization he was not dreaming and they were, in fact, still there beside him. 

Well, more _around_ him.

Their bodies were wedged together tighter than they were when he had fallen asleep, and Jonas could barely move his head with how snugly it was tucked in under V’s chin against their collar. _If you gave a teddy bear to an octopus, this is probably what the poor toy would feel like,_ Jonas thought with a smile. He had some awareness V was a more openly affectionate person than himself, but he had no idea the scales were tipped quite this dramatically between the two of them. Their limbs were like a net wrapped tightly around his body, legs tangled together and arms clinging to the back of his dressing gown like if they didn’t hold on just so tight their doudou would simply float away.

Surprising even himself, he didn’t mind one bit.

V had somehow managed to slip off their cloak and boots in the night without waking him. Their shoes were dropped neatly beside the bed, with their cloak laid over the pair as a makeshift blanket, replacing the bed sheets they had fallen asleep on top of. It was heavy and trapped the heat radiating from V’s body like it was a thick winter quilt. Normally he would feel suffocated by so much warmth, but this was a nice feeling. Jonas wriggled down deeper under the fabric, resting his cheek back against their chest once he settled in. His movement caused V to shift in their sleep, pulling their arms and legs in tighter around him with a huff as if it were a reflex, and Jonas had to catch his lip between his teeth to not make a sound of delight at it. He didn’t know how light of a sleeper they may be, and he didn’t want to risk waking them, not while their cheek was resting on the top of his head so sweetly.

Something fluttered in his chest. He wasn’t about to ruin this moment. The sun had barely come up yet from what he could tell, and the rest of the party shouldn’t stir until quite a while afterwards. There was plenty of time for sneaking more sleep. Jonas wanted to soak in their presence while he still could, for as long as they would stay, and he couldn’t be sure how much time that would give him after they woke up. He wrapped one arm tighter over their side and clung to the fabric of their shirt. With his face nuzzled to their chest, he pressed a kiss where the lacing of their tunic had loosened in the night.

He let his eyes fall closed again, their soft breath rolling over his ear with a cadence that was already lulling him back to rest. 

Just for today, the morning could wait. 

It was only a matter of minutes before their peace was interrupted by scratches against the floor above their heads.

Jonas supposed the day had waited long enough.

Icarion shuffled about quietly, to Jonas's ease, and he kept his attention on V as he prayed the creaks stayed quiet enough for them to maintain their rest. He was only able to see a bit of their hair and neck from where his head was tucked in under theirs, but for a few minutes, he couldn't feel any sign they had stirred from the sound. Unfortunately the footsteps above were followed soon after by Icarion creaking obnoxiously down the stairs through the wall behind Jonas's bed. He winced with every squeak and scrape of talons against the wood, feeling as V started to rouse.

They stirred with an unhappy groan, taking a deep breath and stretching their legs out as their arms tightened around Jonas again. A hand lifted from his back to smear over their eyes.

V blinked once, twice, and furrowed their brows at the vaguely familiar wall in front of their face as they came to consciousness.

_Oh. Right._

They were still in Jonas's room, in Jonas's bed, as was Jonas himself. Butterflies woke in their chest suddenly. They could tell he was already awake from the tension in his limbs after each muffled creak. He didn't seem to be panicking at their current position, though, so V swallowed back the beginnings of their own anxieties and instead heaved a deep, annoyed sigh.

"I guess your aven friend is awake and about." V grumbled through the hand still smeared over their tired face. They could feel Jonas huff out a small laugh, and he pet an apologetic hand across their back. 

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I thought everyone would be sleeping longer after how much they all drank last night, but I guess an early bird is always an early bird." 

V snorted, half with amusement and half with annoyance at having been woken from such a nice rest. They didn't want to move from Jonas's bed yet if there was any more time to be squeezed from their morning together. They knew they couldn't stay forever, though, as much as they would have liked. They were already pushing the clock a little too far.

As he had a tendency to do, Jonas broke their poor mood with little effort, wrapping his arms around their chest warmly and snuggling in.

"Good morning. You stayed." His voice was muffled, but they could still hear the smile in it. They couldn't help from smiling, too.

"I did. You were too cute, I couldn't bear to pry you off of me." They moved a hand to find his nose and tapped it lightly with their finger, making him laugh and grab onto the offending digit. 

"You could have gone if you had to, Corbeau," he wrapped his fingers around their hand and held it to his chest, voice softening, "but I am glad you stayed."

"I suppose I could stay a little while longer, if you'll have me. I'm very comfortable and I don't want to move yet."

"I would be happy to have you. I don't want to get up either. My feet still hurt from last night." 

"Then I guess I can make some more time for lazing around today." They curled their free arm to gently hold the side of Jonas's head, cradling it a bit closer and resting their face in his hair, lips brushing his forehead ever so slightly.

"Good..." Jonas sighed happily, petting his thumb over their hand against his chest as the two settled back in for a short time.

Over the course of the next half-hour the smell of breakfast began wafting up through the floorboards as the sound of the others stirring eventually made their way down to the tavern floor. There were a few muffled noises from below as Lucian heaved himself from bed, officially marking Jonas as the last to join his friends downstairs. Jonas sighed. He couldn't put off the day for much longer, or someone would become suspicious. On a normal day he was one of the first to wake. V could sense the change in his air. He hadn't been the only one to notice the movement in the manor. 

"Your day seems to be starting without you." they mumbled, having nearly been taken by sleep again.

"Yeah..." Jonas sighed, stretching his arms out past V's shoulders and then letting them drop back down lazily, "I guess that means we actually have to go, then... unless you want to hang out in here for a while longer to sleep. I don't mind, you don't need me to escort you out." Jonas said with a shrug. V laughed warmly.

"I should probably get going. I wasn't planning on having a late start this morning, and the longer I put it off the more sorry and busy I'll end up later." 

"That is very responsible of you." Jonas pat one palm on their chest, light and teasing, "I should follow suit. I can't imagine the terrible scheming I'm missing downstairs right now."

He released their hand from it's prison over his heart and yawned, blinking his eyes open for good for the day. The pair untangled their limbs from each other and reluctantly shifted apart, Jonas folding their cloak off of his side as V picked it up and turned to sit on the edge of the bed facing the windows. All Jonas saw from the corner of his eye was the back of their dark braided hair as the cloak wrapped around their shoulders and they lifted their hood once again. He sat himself up and adjusted his nightclothes, scooting around to sit at the edge of the bed next to V while they slipped their feet back into their obnoxiously tall boots. He followed them over to the wall when they stood, wrapping his robe around himself in the chill without their borrowed body heat.

V lifted the window pane with one hand as they took a seat on the sill, pulling their gloves onto their hands.

They paused looking at each other for a moment, eyes locked and hands braced against the window frame, the soft sound of early morning street traffic below as the only white noise. 

"Thank you for staying, I think I really needed that." Jonas's voice was shy, and he avoided their gaze even though he couldn't see them under the shadow of the hood. V watched his face as he spoke, their chest growing warm and light like it had been the night before.

"I'm glad I did, I... I think I needed it, too."

Jonas looked back up, dark eyes searching the blackness beneath their hood, and the halo of sunrise behind them. He could feel them meet his gaze though he couldn't see it. 

He leaned in after a stretch of silence, pushed by what felt like an instinct. V was quick to follow suit. 

The kiss was soft and simple, testing the waters before diving in, but it still sent a wave through Jonas's body.

They broke and pulled apart, but only for a breath of time. V's hand quickly slipped around the back of Jonas's neck as his own found its way to their shoulder. They pulled each other back together, their lips meeting again with more energy and sureness. Despite how chaste and sweet it was compared to the hot and heavy connections V was accustomed to having, it still knocked the wind right out of them.

When they separated again and Jonas opened his eyes, he swore he could make out the shape of another pair of eyes staring fondly back at him, their faces so close the ends of their noses nearly brushed together. Their hearts were racing, and Jonas let out a soft hum, the fluttering feeling still strong in his chest.

V slid a gloved hand to his cheek and brushed their thumb across the shimmering orange curve there, biting their lip in thought.

"So I get two goodbyes? That's very special, isn't it." V said with a grin, smug even through their flushed face. Jonas blinked, then pushed at their shoulder with a quiet snort and a smile of his own, but their moment was interrupted by a sudden loud knock at the bedroom door.

_"JONAS?"_

Lucian's voice was raised to permeate the dense wood, and the pair jumped away from each other in surprise. Neither of them had heard him making his way upstairs.

 _"Jonas, its almost nine in the morning, are you alright? What's the deal? We're already eating and you're gonna miss all the good shit if I eat it first. I'm doing you a favor here! Jonas?"_ There were a few more impatient bangs against the door, causing Jonas to panic and grasp the fabric at V's shoulders.

"I-I'm awake! Be down in a minute!" Jonas called back. He lowered his voice to a sharp whisper and pushed V towards the outside with frantic energy, though there was still a giggle behind it. _"Shit, go go go!"_

 _"Alright, alright, I'm gone!"_ They whispered in return and wedged themselves the rest of the way through the window. They grabbed onto the top of the frame before leaning back in to hold Jonas's cheek and steal one final peck on the lips. The smile that spread across his face when they pulled away made them feel like they could float down to the street.

 _"I'll see you soon, write to me!"_ Jonas squeezed their wrist before letting them go. 

_"I will, I will."_

Jonas watched V drop down to the balcony below, sliding the window half closed before turning away to lean back against the wall. He took a breath and let his shoulders drop with an exhale as Lucian shuffled back down the stairs, waiting in silence until he was sure he was out of earshot.

With the last few moments replaying in his mind, he barely had enough time to slap his hands over his face before a fit of delighted giggles erupted from him, his palms doing little to muffle the sound.

Dawdling below the window and lost in their own thoughts, V could still hear him through the parted glass. They paused in their climb down to the street letting out their own breathy laugh, cheeks flushed, before continuing on their way.

Maybe this wasn't as bad as they worried it would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :3c
> 
> *doudou is a term that means a comfort item or toy, like a child's security blanket


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some new names used in this chapter! V is a changeling, and in the last few weeks and months we have learned a lot more about them and their changeling personas. I hope it isn't too confusing!
> 
> Named personas of V in this chapter include:  
> "Ira" - His default changeling self, though he has shared it with Jonas as his given name.  
> "Scriv" - A lithe and tanned male elf with long, wavy black hair.
> 
> Corbeau (shortened to Beau) and Etoile are pet names Jonas has given V over the course of their friendship. Jonas still calls him V, though it is a nickname only used between the two of them.

⚝

* * *

A crash of thunder rang out as he gazed at the rolling clouds above, his shaded eyes narrowing with displeasure. The figure pulled his cloak tightly around his form before pushing out into the rain soaked streets of the city of splendors. 

It wasn’t the smartest idea to brave stormy weather, Scriv knew that much. But he had promised Jonas a visit and a visit is exactly what he was going to get. Rain or shine. 

He had dressed for the noontime weather when he woke that morning, expecting the balmy temperatures to stick around until he was able to wrap up his work for the day. Unfortunately, his prior engagements had sapped hours of extra time he couldn’t have accounted for, taking him late into the evening before he was freed to do with his time what he wished. By the time the sun began to set, Scriv found himself in the pit of an early summer storm that brought with it unseasonably cold rain and wind. 

While he hadn’t accounted for being out past dark, he wasn’t about to let a little wet stop him. This was Waterdeep, after all. Rain wasn’t ever a surprise in the city. 

Sticking with the usual method of travel he kept to the upper levels of the ward, leaping between rooftops and dipping through darkened alleys only when necessity called. He found himself trudging and dodging through the bitter wind and rain over the familiar structures, trying to make up for lost time with as many shortcuts as possible. Though his cloak was fighting off the worst of the elements for him, the icy night rain had begun soaking into his boots and numbing his toes, challenging his balance at times.

He skirted around chimney stacks and down the slope of the roof northwards, moving to make the next alley-wide leap when a sudden gust of wind whipped his cloak sideways. The heavy fabric caught the wind like a kite, pulling the trajectory of his leap crooked just short of his target and sending him spiraling to the street below. 

With a thud and a splash his body connected with the flooded alley, one ankle taking most of the impact before he crashed to his side on the stones.   


Scriv hissed through his teeth, the stinging pain radiating from his ankle as he lifted himself up onto his elbows. Despite their cloak’s enhancements, there wasn’t very much protection it could provide from being submerged in a deep puddle of grimy, back-alley water, and he found himself almost entirely soaked. Laying in the wet and filth was only chilling his limbs even more on top of the pain, so he pushed off the gravel and sat up with another hiss. He straightened his hood and tried to fight off the urge to shiver, turning his head to look up to where he tumbled from. 

Luckily the roof was only a low second story, he thought. What a night it would have been to have to deal with something more serious than a twist to the ankle... though his now drenched clothes weren’t much better of a trade in his eyes. Scriv heaved himself to his feet with the help of the stone wall, wincing at the sharp pinch in his ankle as he tested a few steps, but deemed it just functional enough to press on. His ankle was surely twisted, but not badly enough that he couldn't hobble on it the rest of the way. The sky seemed to darken even farther with the heavy rain in the night. Scriv pressed on through sheer stubbornness and determination—he had to get there now after already coming this far. No matter what, Trollskull was now the closest place for him to hold up for the night without renting space at a random inn. That was not something he wanted to deal with right now. 

He traversed the alleys by foot for most of the remaining distance, arms clung around himself under his cloak, and gradually returning his gait to as close to normal as he could without sending another wave of pain up through his calf. Once he got close enough to Trollskull Alley and had adjusted to his limp, he began to squint through the rain for signs of life. 

From this distance, even with the rain, he could just barely make out the warm candlelight in Jonas’s third story window. 

He quickened his pace, teeth chattering.

* * *

With some difficulty he eventually reached Trollskull’s roof, peeking down to Jonas’s window once more to see that it was still left open, though the rain was blowing straight inside. Scriv turned and scaled down the wall, gripping the timbers with white knuckles until the toes of his boots brushed the sill. Jonas’s blurred form shifted on his bed, and he shivered again as he watched him rush over through the rain-streaked glass, leaning back so that he cloud lift the window open easier. 

The sudden shift of weight between his feet shot a new wave of pain through his ankle and his grip faltered. He buckled as one foot slipped off the sill, balance suddenly gone as his stomach lurched, gloved fingers digging into the slick wood of the window frame for purchase in that split second but finding none. 

His breath caught in his throat as he felt his stomach drop, but his body didn’t have much time to be pulled down by gravity before a pair of arms flew around his chest with an alarmed shout.

Half hanging out into the rain himself, Jonas clung to Scriv for dear life, arms wrapped tightly under his own. Scriv quickly scrambled to brace his feet on the top of the doorframe below to stop himself from dangling as Jonas took in a gasp of air.

 _“ÊTES-VOUS FOU?”_ he yelled into the pounding rain—either the rain or Scriv's own pulse in his ears, he wasn’t sure. He barely had a chance to respond before he was being lifted.

Jonas quickly dragged him back in through the open window and into the safety of his third floor bedroom, warm and out of the wind and rain. Scriv stumbled, tripping over Jonas’s feet as he backed into the room with him still in his arms, adrenaline still flaring through his body and turning his numb limbs to jelly. Their legs tangled together in the shuffle and the pair toppled to the floor in a heap, Scriv taking Jonas down with a sharp curse. Jonas barely acknowledged the spill, instead shifting himself back up onto his knees, grabbing Scriv by the face, by the shoulder, with a look of shock and worry. His hands were gentle even with the tension in the rest of his body and expression. He pushed the elf's hood back, brushing away wet strands of hair from where they were plastered to Scriv's face. His brows knit together with concern as he gave him a quick once-over in the soft candlelight. 

“Fuck, Corbeau,” he wheezed, the sudden shock seemingly having knocked the breath out of him as well, “what are you doing outside in this?” 

“I’m fine, I would have been _f-fh_ -fine…” He gave a crooked smile and patted his arms with reassurance, missing target a few times with how badly the shivering had gotten after such a scare, “I said I was _g-_ gonna come see you, didn’t I?” 

“That was before the storm got so bad, Beau, I didn’t think you were still coming.” Jonas frowned with a hint of frustration, holding him with a pout, “You really shouldn’t have.”

He smiled under Jonas's hands, scrunching up his nose at him playfully. 

“I promised I would, so I’m here. I wasn’t about to stand you up because of a little rain.”

_“You—”_

Jonas made an exasperated sound, gripping onto him by the front of his cloak as though he was preparing to shake him until his head rattled. Instead he sighed, pulled him in so that his face pressed to the warmth of his neck, and wrapped his arms tightly around his shoulders. Scriv let out a sigh, welcoming the much needed heat against his stinging cheeks. 

“I’m glad you’re safe, even though this was very stupid of you.. Gods, you’re freezing...” he mumbled into his hair, stroking his head and nape. After a moment he paused, arms tensing slightly around his body as he took a breath through his nose.

“...Why do you smell so bad?”

_Oh. Right._

“Ate shit in an alley.” He mumbled into the collar of his dressing gown, focused only on warming his face against Jonas's skin.

Jonas was silent for a few seconds, then pulled his face back to look at him with a brow quirked. Scriv heaved a sigh.

“I mean I fell, Jonas, I did not _literally eat—”_

“No, no, I got that much.” he interrupted, “I’m just trying to picture it. You must be having trouble on your feet today if you’ve fallen twice now.” Scriv scoffed. 

“Technically I didn’t fall the second time, but I still would have been fine.” He shifted to straighten his back, but winced as the movement sent a throb of pain straight to his ankle, “Probably.”

Jonas narrowed his eyes suspiciously and his gaze shot to Scriv's foot where his hand had moved to hover subconsciously. “Did you hurt yourself?”

Scriv opened his mouth to brush it off, but he felt the willpower to fib drain away as their eyes locked, and he deflated.

“I… well I might have bungled up my ankle, but—” Jonas immediately bristled at that, and Scriv threw his hands up reassuringly before he could interject, “—but it isn’t that bad! I still got here, didn’t I? That means it isn’t broken!” 

Jonas lifted a hand to rub at the bridge of his nose, letting his breath out in a steady stream.

“Just because it isn’t broken doesn’t mean it can’t be _bad,_ _Scriv_.” 

“Yeah, I know, I just… I didn’t want you to worry, but I don’t know how I was expecting to keep you from finding out about it, coming here.” He gave him a tired, crooked smile, “It’s been a rough night so far.”

Jonas’s tense expression softened, dropping his hand from his face and instead reaching out to hold his cheek, brushing away a trailing drop of rainwater with his thumb.

“I know, mon coeur, you have suffered enough hardship for one day.” he tucked away some of the loose hair that had pulled from Scriv's braid and plastered to his cheek, “I can try to fix you up, but we will have to go one step at a time” his eyes wandered down to the soiled cloak, and the water puddling around them both on the floor, “...starting with your poor clothes.”

Scriv let out a halfhearted chuckle at the current state of his… everything.

“Somehow this all feels much worse than any injury I have sustained. You know how I hate being in the rain.”

“You are much too drenched for me to just dry you off, at least not well enough for you to be warm, I don’t have the right magic today for that.” he said with a pitying smile, lifting the layers of clothes to look at them, “You’re going to have to hang these to dry. We can wash them properly in the morning, though, for the smell.” 

He grimaced, and Jonas gave him a stern look.

“If you don’t take these wet things off you’ll be sleeping cold on the floor by yourself, smelly.”

He narrowed his eyes for a moment more, but eventually relented. With a sigh he let Jonas help him stand and guide him to sit at the foot of the bed. The pain in his ankle only felt worse after having his weight off it for that short time.

“Start taking your stuff off and just hang it over the bedposts, I’ll move it to dry when I get back. I think we’re going to need more than the one log I have for the fire.” Jonas glanced to the small hearth at the foot of the bed before letting out a huff, “I’ll only be a minute or two, I just need to run downstairs.”

With a quick peck to his cheek he turned, shuffling around the corner and out of the room. The sound of his footsteps thumping down the stairs trailed off soon afterwards. Scriv stalled, annoyed by the cold, damp fabric but still not eager to start peeling layers off. Then again, sleeping wet on the floor seemed like an even less appealing idea.

He grumbled, unsnapping the clasp of his cloak and shimmying it out from under his rear, tossing it over the bedpost before moving on to the next soiled garment. By the time Jonas shuffled back into the room with firewood under one arm and a bundle of extra bedding under the other, he had managed to disrobe down to his undershirt, pants, and boots. Jonas smiled as he dropped the heap of blankets at the head of the bed.

“See, isn’t that better? You look warmer already.”

Scriv glowered, though it didn’t quite come across how he wanted what with his chattering teeth. Jonas held back a chuckle at his sour expression as he went to crouch in front of the hearth.

“Get those daggers out of your eyes and take your bottoms off. Those will be the worst off if they aren’t dried soon.”

Scriv sat back and watched as Jonas built up the logs in the fireplace, stuffing parchment scraps and bits of fluff underneath them. With a few snaps of his fingers he got them to light with his peculiar magic, and after blowing a soft puff of air into the pile Scriv watched the orange glow start to spread across his face, smoke rising in a thin stream. Jonas continued to stoke the fire, and Scriv pulled up one leg to his chest to begin unlacing his boot.

Eventually the fire roared to life, casting a pleasant warmth across Scriv's side from his spot on the bed as he tugged off his first boot and set it aside. Jonas brushed off his knees as he stood, moving over to crouch in front of him next to the bed. He glanced down to his other leg, then back up to his face. 

“Is this the one you twisted?” he asked, voice soft with concern. He nodded, looking away towards the glow of the fire.

“I’m going to take the laces out so we can slip the boot off, alright? Tell me to stop if it hurts.”

He grimaced but said nothing, so Jonas took the silence as approval. Jonas settled back on his legs, taking his calf in his hands and gently bracing his heel between his knees. He started to work the laces out of the extraordinarily tall boots, slowly pulling them through each eyelet. Towards the middle of his shin, Jonas's ears perked at a thumping noise against the bedsheets. He looked up from the laces tangled between his fingers and into a pair of slivered eyes that quickly darted away from his gaze. A low growl picked up with the thumping sound. A thumping, furry tail, Jonas realized. Now in the moody form of a tabaxi, Ira had pulled his knee up to his chest, arms crossed behind his leg with a pout. He let out a huff when he glanced back to see Jonas still looking at him. Jonas huffed back and narrowed his eyes.

“Will you just let me help you? Gods alive, you look at me like I’m branding you or something.” 

He rolled his eyes and went back to work on the boot, eyelet by eyelet, until he set the laces aside in a little bundle on the floor. The thumping eventually stopped, and Jonas was able to slip the boot off his foot without so much as a wince. He took a moment to gently examine the ankle with his fingers, tilting the now swollen joint to make sure it wasn’t worse than he was anticipating. Ira drew in a quiet hiss through his teeth and Jonas froze, looking up to his face, which had returned to a rare pallid gray. Thankfully he didn’t look particularly pained.

“How does it feel?”

“Not as bad as it could be. I was able to walk on it to get here, but I don’t think I would want to take another step now.”

Jonas sighed and furrowed his brows, turning the ankle in his hands briefly.

“I’m regrettably low on magic after today, but I think I can do a little bit of something. It might not make you feel brand new, but hopefully it will be good enough to let you sleep, and maybe walk tomorrow.”

Jonas placed his hands back around his ankle, squeezing softly but firmly through the thick knit stockings. Ira did his best to keep his shivering to a minimum while Jonas spun his magic. After a short string of words a different warmth blossomed through his sore bones and the ache subsided almost completely. Jonas’s grip loosened, and Ira rolled his ankle in the air a bit to test it. 

“You’ll still need to be careful on it, this is the most I can do for now…” Jonas mumbled from the floor before him. Ira looked down to him, the creases of distress fading from his face as he gave him a fond smile. He leaned and reached down to brush his fingers across Jonas's cheek, coaxing him to meet his gaze. 

“This is more than enough, Jonas, thank you. I feel much better.”

Jonas’s fretful look was replaced with a soft smile, and he leaned his cheek into the touch before he stood once more, taking his boots and clothes over one arm. 

“I am glad to hear it. Maybe by morning it will be good as new… and if not, I can fix you up the rest of the way come dawn.” He winked, and made his way into his little bathroom. 

Ira stood gently, leaning his weight onto his now only slightly tender ankle. He sighed with relief at the lack of pain and adjusted himself back into the form of Scriv. Still careful with his balance, he reluctantly shimmied out of his wet pants and stockings.

Once Jonas returned from hanging the clothes to dry, he began laying a few of the spare blankets on the floor in front of the fire. 

“You know, this is the first time I’ve seen you without all your leathers and layers on. I’m discovering more of you still.” Jonas teased, smiling over his shoulder from the small pile of bedding, “You’re like a little crab with its shell off.”

“Funny you would make that association, that’s exactly how it feels. I’m all… exposed.” he shivered, frowning and folding his pants on the bed where he had been sitting before. He turned to face Jonas again just as a thick blanket was swung around his shoulders, the shorter boy using it to pull him in with a smile.

“I’ll protect you, my little hermit crab, don’t worry. Now you won’t creak when we cuddle.” 

Jonas lifted himself on his toes, tugging the blanket around Scriv's shoulders down in the same motion to reach and brush the tip of his nose against his. Scriv tilted his head downwards to lightly bump their foreheads together, coaxing a soft laugh out of the genasi. Another small shiver ran through him in spite of the addition of the blanket.

“Could we move to sit by the fire now? I’m still cold, even if I’m much more dry.”

“Hmm, I guess we can.”

Jonas smiled, pulling him along with the blanket until they made their way in front of the hearth, and the pair settled themselves onto the thick pile of fabric. Jonas wrapped a second blanket around their shoulders before weaseling his way under the blankets and Scriv’s arm to cozy up. It wasn’t long before they had fit into each other like puzzle pieces again, Scriv’s face tucked into Jonas’s shoulder and limbs intertwined. Jonas’s hands found their way to the elf’s hair and he started untangling the damp braids, pulling water out of them with each pass of his hands, until it was a dry black curtain over his shoulders. Scriv's eyes fluttered closed at the feeling.

“Maybe I should get hurt more often, I feel very pampered.”

“Shh. No you should not. Just think warm thoughts.” he mumbled into the top of his head, “At least you don’t smell anymore. It must have just been your clothes.”

“That’s… well, I was going to say good, but I don’t think I will feel the same when I have to deodorize everything.”

“Amiya probably has a good way to air out leathers, if you want to ask them about it tomorrow.”

“Perhaps… I’m not entirely sure yet if they like me or not.”

“They seem to, at least from my eyes. Even if it is only because I like you, but I’m pretty sure they like you of their own accord as well. Besides, it’s just laundry.”

He hummed and tucked his face in closer to his neck, pressing his cold nose into the heat of the skin under Jonas's ear-fin-thing. Jonas took in a quick breath but held still, combing his fingers through Scriv's hair a few more times before settling one arm around his waist and bringing the other up around his shoulder. He pressed the palm of one hand over Scriv’s chilled ear, careful to keep his fingertips away from his bare skin, and he sighed in relief at the warmth.

Scriv focused on his warm thoughts, and eventually the shivering subsided between the glow of the fire and Jonas’s presence. On any normal night the genasi’s skin would feel cool to the touch, like the back of a pillow in the summer, but with how chilled his own body was at the moment he felt like a warm bath in comparison. 

The skin on his legs started to tingle from the heat of the fire, but he was too comfortable to move, lulled by the pat of rain on the glass, the crackle of the fire, and the drum of Jonas’s heartbeat against his cheek.

“Are you feeling any warmer?” Jonas brushed his thumb across his temple, lifting his palm from his ear slightly.

“Yeah, mostly. You’re even starting to feel cold again compared to myself, so I suppose that’s a good sign.”

Jonas huffed out a laugh through his nose.

“I’m not _all_ cold, V, but I’m glad you’re warming back up.”

“You’ve always been a little on the chilly side.” he teased, opening one eye to look up at him. Jonas snorted with amusement.

“You just don’t know how to find the warm spots.” 

_“Oh?”_ Scriv coaxed, lifting his head with interest and a sly smile, “Would you care to direct me, then? I don’t know my way around a map quite as well as you do, colombe.”

Jonas pulled back, giving him a quizzical look before sliding his hands to Scriv's wrists with a coy smile. He brought them in towards his sides, puppeting his hands to slide up under the hem of his dressing gown. The intrusion tugged the overlapped fabric open at his front, but he didn’t seem to mind as he settled the hands on the bare skin of his waist before letting them go. Scriv held his breath with surprise at his boldness.

He wasn’t lying, he was definitely much warmer here, and as Jonas rested his arms back around his shoulders, Scriv drummed his fingers lightly against his skin with a smile. This was an adventurous side of Jonas he hadn’t anticipated, given his usual shyness, but bringing attention to such a thing would be counterproductive. He kept his mouth shut for the time being.

The sliver of skin from his collar to his drawers was a new sight to see. He wasn’t used to Jonas being any more underdressed than his sleepwear when it was neatly tucked and tied in place. That alone was a tempting view, but his hands were already in uncharted territory, and he couldn't help the devious thoughts swirling in the back of his mind. His hands crept along Jonas's sides, fingertips ghosting along to feel the slight indentations of his markings on his soft skin. 

“I guess you _are_ warmer than I thought. Touché.”

He could catch Jonas’s smile out of the corner of his eye, and a sigh passed through his lips as his hands moved and traced along his body, the heat on his skin gradually rising along with it. Scriv let his hands wander upwards, pushing the dressing gown open wider with his arms as he moved. His hands slid up over his ribs until the tips of his fingers brushed the rise of his chest, and he paused. Jonas held his breath.

“Do you want me to…” He hesitated, unsure of how much farther Jonas might want to go this time.

 _“Mhmm…”_ Jonas nodded, tilting his head to rest cheek-to-cheek with him. His ears were flushed with the barest hint of violet. 

Scriv's eyes trailed down his chest before he moved his hands. He pushed up and over the small mounds, cold hands on warm skin, smooth and soft like the rest of his body beneath the fabric. Jonas let out a silent puff of air against his ear in response, his arms tensing slightly before settling once more over his shoulders.

Jonas let his eyes fall closed, focused only on the sensation of the hands exploring his chest, feeling the comparable chill of his fingers and rough trails of callus as he kneaded in. He melted into the touch, head lolling over his arm as it balanced on Scriv's shoulder, the mass of his hair starting to curl and sway of it’s own accord. Soft hums slipped past his lips in spite of his attempts to keep quiet. It was hard to focus with the tingling sensation that spread through his body, making the muscles in his legs tense.

Scriv craned his head to kiss his neck, lips brushing against his skin before latching on. The touch sent heat flaring up through Jonas’s chest and he gasped, flushing a deep violet across his face. Scriv pulled the skin of his neck between his lips and teeth, only releasing it with a soft pop when he was sure it would leave a pretty purple mark to match his blush. Jonas crooned in response, slurring in his tongues as he worked at his neck again and again, hands still moving under his open nightclothes.

Scriv eventually pulled back to admire his work, kissing his way across the string of bruises with a proud grin. His mouth ghosted downwards as Jonas’s mind spun from the attention, trailing feather light kisses over his collar that felt like flames licking his skin. _Maybe they were sitting too close to the fire._

Dropping one of his arms to wrap around Jonas’s waist, Scriv tugged him closer and bent his head, pressing his lips to the soft flesh cupped in his hand. Jonas whimpered as his mouth fit over him, hot and wet with an intensity he wasn’t prepared for, and had to slap a hand over his mouth to cover the moan bubbling up his throat when he felt the scrape of teeth against sensitive skin.

Scriv hummed back proudly, mouth full and reveling in his own enjoyment. 

He lifted his face to find his lips and Jonas met them eagerly, fingers pushing into the hair at his nape and grabbing it tight to hold him in place. He felt his own face flush as Jonas pushed his chest forwards into his hands. Scriv smiled into the kiss, kneading his fingers in again to earn a few more gasps against his mouth, making Jonas shift in place where he knelt. 

Scriv pulled his free hand away from the swell of Jonas's chest with a little reluctance, loosening the arm around his back slightly as he moved downwards. His fingers trailed over and past his stomach—

Jonas’s body flinched as a sudden jolt shot up his core. His breath caught in his throat, startling him out of the haze, and he gasped aloud.

_“Ah—”_

He grabbed Scriv's wrist, his body lurching away from the touch on its own. Scriv stilled his hand immediately. His eyes locked on Jonas's face with surprise and a bit of worry as they both caught their breath.

“...Too much?”

His head fell to Scriv's shoulder and he nodded, breath rolling over his collar in hot waves. His heart was still threatening to beat out of his chest. 

“That’s alright, we can stop. Are you okay?” 

He felt another nod against his shoulder as Jonas released his wrist, slowly returning his arm to it’s spot around his shoulders. Scriv pulled away from under his robes, looping an arm around his middle again and pulling him closer into a lazy hug, stroking the back of his head.

“That was a lot for this evening, I think.” He whispered into his still purple ear. Jonas hummed in return, leaning his head gently against Scriv's cheek.

“Mmh, maybe." he sighed, "But it felt nice…” Scriv smiled, a bit smug, idly twirling his fingers in Jonas's hair.

“Maybe we can try it again a different time, when the night doesn’t begin with such a panic, hmm?”

“Yeah,” he sighed, turning his face and tucking it closer to his neck, “I’d like that…”

Scriv continued combing his fingers through Jonas's hair, taking deep breaths as his breathing slowly evened out. After a few minutes their racing hearts had calmed, and all they could hear was the rain and the crackle of the fire once more.

He would have been content to spend the rest of the night in front of the fire, but the exhaustion after the trek northwards was finally catching up with Scriv, dragging his eyelids down with the weight of iron. He found himself thankful that their little escapade had stopped before they had gotten too riled up. Sleep was starting to seem like a much more favorable option.

Ever the intuitive mind, it wasn’t more than a few minutes before Jonas suggested they move onto the bed before they were both too tired to care where they slept. Scriv easily obliged. The blankets from their shoulders and the floor were dragged over the bed like a woolen cocoon, and after Jonas had hung up his abandoned pants to dry with his other things, he crawled his way under the mass of material to cuddle up to his side. Now dry, warm, and mostly out of pain, it was easy to settle down into their little nest. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

It seemed that staying at Trollskull was starting to become a habit.

Things started to feel simpler, more natural, the more frequently Ira stayed there with Jonas. He was always thankful for those nights the stars aligned and they both wound up in the third floor room at the same time. It took less convincing on Jonas’s part than he had anticipated to make him linger an extra few hours, and it somehow always brought them through the night and well into the morning, still tangled together, conversations abandoned after drifting to sleep. 

Some evenings Jonas would be there in his room when he slipped in the window, pleasantly surprised from his nightly reading and swiping the glasses off his nose as though he hadn’t already seen them a dozen times. Other nights it was like he had somehow sensed Ira would show up, waiting with two warm mugs and any extra soft things he scrounged up from rooms of party members staying elsewhere at the time. Over the weeks his space there had slowly accumulated more pillows and soft blankets, making it much more to his own liking, though he still opted to lay his head on Jonas in favor of anything filled with fluff and feathers when it came time to close his eyes. 

Jonas never objected to being his personal pillow. At least not out loud. 

That is how they found themselves this particular night, Scriv’s head resting on Jonas’s chest as he gazed down, one finger tracing the features of his face while quietly narrating the movements. The feather-light touches could put him to sleep in minutes despite how much he wanted to stay awake to keep enjoying it. He didn’t believe Jonas when he had described this trick as one of Amiya’s old favorites for putting him to bed as a child, but a few strokes down the bridge of his nose and under his tired eyes had him changing his tune rather quickly. 

He often joked about _“making up for ten years of lost time”_ in moments like these, which always gave Ira that small, stinging sense of shame in his chest for not having come forward sooner, for not having the courage to. Jonas never seemed to fault him for waiting, only prolonging their embraces and small points of contact like these with it as an excuse for his touchiness, as if he would ever mind it or need Jonas to give him a reason. He was simply thankful for the lack of resentment over his years of avoidance. 

For now, Jonas seemed content to let his fingers glide over his face, voice like a coo in his ears. He could almost hear his smile in the way he murmured the words. 

Scriv’s head eventually grew heavy on Jonas’s chest. With eyes closed his mind focused on the gentle finger-traced patterns again and again, the swirl of air with his breaths, and the steady heartbeat under his cheek.

As the rain slowed and, finally, stopped, he drifted off to the feeling of cool fingers brushing over his lips.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *“ÊTES-VOUS FOU?” - "Are you crazy?"  
> *mon coeur - my heart  
> *Colombe - dove


End file.
